It's an honor to be recognized

The Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting Thursday. They gave out several awards there to honor members of the community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to others and their community in the last year.
I was named the Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year.
It had always been a custom of mine to serve in any way I can for the betterment of this community. I believe this community and this region has many positive things to offer.
Some of the ways in which I serve includes serving as the president of Main Street Portsmouth, which provides services, incentives and collaborative opportunities to promote a healthy economic downtown, while preserving our historic integrity.
I serve as co-president of the Scioto County Habitat For Humanity, which is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing by providing a “hands-up” partnership opportunity for low-income, working families to become self-sufficient homeowners. This is an exciting time for Habitat, because we are in the process of constructing five homes by the end of 2012, thanks to various grants secured by the City of Portsmouth and Scioto County. Typically, we construct one home a year.
I currently sit of the board of directors of the Autism Project of Southern Ohio, a nonprofit group that provides support and education regarding that condition.
For 10 years, I have served as a member of the Board of Directors of Camp Bountiful, a 360-acre campgrounds owned and operated by the Community of Christ. Since I have worked at the newspapers I have spent my alloted vacation time attending Camp Bountiful. For the last three years I have taken a voluntary furlough week to attend a third camp.
On March 13, I became an ordained minister within the Community of Christ. In my role as a priest I have the authority to preform marriages, baptisms, serve communion, preach and a variety of other functions.
Sometimes, I think I could do a lot more in service to the communities. While other times, I cannot wrap my head around the many things that need to be done in a day or a week.
I can tell you, this award came as a big surprise to me. When my name was announced as the recipient of this award, it was a very humbling experience. When I accepted the award I was also asked to give a short speech. I can tell you I do not remember what I said, because I was so overwhelmed.
I thank all of those who were involved in granting me this award. It will be something I will cherish for a lifetime.

So Things Have Ben A Little Crazy

So....

Things have been a little crazy as of late...with all of the preparations being made for Sr. High Camp that is less than a month away...Classes and retreats to attend and sermons to prepare....let alone work and all of the volunteer responsibilities I have gotten my self into things have been getting messy.
I volunteer for this organization that shall remain nameless. Last week we were called together to here an announcement from our director. She announced she would be leaving her position for reasons beyond her control. So the process has begun to find her replacement in the near future. It has been an interesting time in the life of this organization. We are also seeing this as a time to reflect on what we are going and where we hope to go. I will keep you posted on how that goes.
Tomorrow a couple of us form my office will be traveling to Columbus to witness the Governor of Ohio sign into law House Bill 93 that will regulate pain clinics throughout the state. I will tell you more about this in the near future......
This weekend we are "Raising the Walls" of our 9th Habitat For Humanity House. It should be an interesting time to see how quickly this house is able to be constructed. Crews are putting the finishing touches on the current house, in the next month or two the family should be able to move in.
Next weekend for me will be spent in West Virginia, going to a Bountiful Mission Center Advisory Council Meeting, then traveling town hours north to spend the rest of the weekend with friends in Wellsburg, WV.....It should be a good time.
The following weekend I will be preaching in Jackson....With the theme of, "You will be my witness." Not quite sure where I will go with this..any suggestions?
Then the following weekend will be the start of Sr. High Camp.....Which will be the best, it's going to be an enlightening and spirit filled weekend for all.

That's enough about me....as always thanks for taking the time to read this...

-W

Sorry for the delay

I know, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything... things have been crazy busy..I wanted to share with you what was my first sermon delivered a couple of weeks ago....
The theme for the week was, Peace Be With You

I bring greetings from the Saints of the Pleasant Valley Branch. I also greet you in the name of the one that has brought us all together.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to deliver my first message as an ordained minister in this church here. I fell I have been blessed in the process of composing this message. It’s my prayer that you will bear with me as I get over the getters and nerves that I may show.

Before I was ordained at Jr. High Retreat in March the campers and staff were called together so that we could help those campers who did not understand what was going to happen during the service.

One of the things that was told to the campers was that I was receiving a commission from God.

How scary is that? To know that you have a commission from God.

After the ordination occurred I was asked by a number of people if I felt different. My answer was yes and that I have and will continue to be blessed because of the experence.

I recently stumbled upon what should have been my answer…..

Zen Buddhists use the saying “Before I was enlightened” one Zen master explained “the mountains looked like mountains and the rivers like rivers. At the moment of enlightenment I saw it all differently. And now that I am enlightened, the mountains look like mountains again and the rivers look like rivers.” Or, when asked what it was like to be enlightened, another Zen master answered, “I chop wood and carry water.”

My Friends there is reason to celebrate! We can celebrate because we are here and we can celebrate the recent rain, if we do that it should give us plenty to celebrate.

We can also celebrate the announcement of the new Mission Initiatives announced by President Steve Veazey a few weeks ago in his address to the church.

We can celebrate because now more than ever the church has a focus that will help to guide its efforts to make an even greater impact on a world that so desperately needs to here the story of the church and what it has to offer to the world.

During his speech, President Veazey said, “Being spiritually formed is foundational to obtaining a clear and compelling vision for mission. A compelling vision and since of mission, springs forth from the overflow of deep communion with the spirit. Such Communion occurs in personal spiritual practices as well as spiritual growth and healthy congregational life.”

I have to confess something to you!

It takes me about a month to finish reading a good sized book! Which is not good because I am a collector of books I would someday like to read so, I have a pile of about 15 books waiting on me to read them.

This week I was able to finish a book called “A World Waiting To Be Born, Civility Redefined.”

If you will allow me I would like to share with you what the book is about.

The book is by M. Scott Peck, a past recipient of the church’s International Peace Award.

The basic concept of the book talks about the concept and idea of community.

Through the reading of such books it has opened my eyes to the concept of community. Peck simply states, ”In and through community lies the salvation of the world.”

Community can simply be defined as a group of people that come together for a purpose or a group of people that are united by something greater than themselves.

So if you really think about it we have constructed a community because we are here today.

One of the greatest examples I can think of when it comes to community will take place in a little over a month.

Not to sound conceded but, 2011 marks the 20^th consecutive year I have been camping at Camp Bountiful.

One of the many things that has and will continue to amaze about that place is the fact that we as staff and campers can come from all walks of life at the beginning of a week as stranger. And at the end of the week be so united that we would call each other family.

To me camp is a prime example of community at its best. Maybe there’s something greater than what we are at play there. One thing I know for certain is that the spirit has and will continue to play a vital role in what that camp grounds is and will be in the future.

One of the other concepts of this church that amazes me is how we can come together in song. In most cases we are able to come together and sound a group that should try out for America’s Got Talent.

Many of you were on the recent trip we took to that Kirtland Temple for the 175 anniversary. During the service we sang my favorite church songs, “Spirit of God like a Fire is burning.” Here now is what it sounded like that day.

Let me give a few examples from my perspective some of the easy examples is the fact that we are members of the Community of Christ. One of the other obvious examples is that I am employed by the Community Common.

As you can see a large portion of my life is spent in community.

Friends, let me tell you we live in a community that’s hurting. Our community, is hearting for a number of reasons. At one point our community was hearting so bad that the Governor of Ohio said the devil is running this county.

We all know the challenges we are facing as a community. I believe in these challenges we can find opportunity.

We can find opportunity to live out some of the new mission Initiatives that calls us into greater community. A community that’s united by the one that calls us all together.

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes given by a church official. Grant McMurray former profit and president of the church once said in an address to a world conference,

“Our belief in community is founded upon our sure knowledge that the God in me seeks the God in you and that it is when we have encountered that divine reality at the very center of our faith that we finally, truly, know one another.”

As we move forward my we be rest assured of the peace of Jesus Christ is alive and well in our lives, in our community and in our church,

Again I thank you for the opportunity to share with you today.